Dog Bather Salary & Pay DataShared BLS figures: animal caretakers (includes groomers)
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Broader BLS occupation: SOC 39-2021 Animal Caretakers
BLS has no bather-only code.
This is animal caretakers (39-2021), which includes groomers and bathers along with kennel and daycare staff, so it is not a bather-only figure.
The figure on this page is the shared figure for animal caretakers (includes groomers, SOC 39-2021), all industries: $35,360 a year ($17.00 an hour) in May 2025.
It is not dog bather pay, and BLS cannot show how dog bathers are paid compared with the rest of the group.
BLS publishes one series for SOC 39-2021, so the dog groomer, kennel attendant, dog daycare attendant, dog walker, pet sitter, animal care attendant salary pages show the same number.
Annual figures are BLS hourly wages × 2,080 hours. OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only and leaves out the self-employed, overtime pay and most bonuses. BLS publishes no dog bather-only wage.
What the figure means for dog bathers
O*NET lists Dog Bather among the reported job titles for animal caretakers, so bathers are counted in the same occupation as groomers.
BLS publishes no bather-only figure, so it cannot show how bather pay compares with groomer pay.
At PetSmart, bather postings say the job is paid by the hour, while groomers are also eligible for "groom pay", a percentage of grooming sales.
Pay by employer
National figures for animal caretakers (includes groomers, SOC 39-2021): every employer, then other personal services, veterinary services and other miscellaneous retailers, BLS OEWS May 2025.
BLS publishes no figure for dog bathers alone; these rows are for the whole occupation, the broader occupation that includes this role.
BLS publishes no wage figures for pet care services (NAICS 812910) or pet and pet supplies stores (459910) on their own, so no salon-only or pet-store-only figure exists.
Other personal services (812900) contains pet care services such as grooming, boarding and daycare, but also unrelated businesses such as parking lots and photofinishing.
Other miscellaneous retailers (459900) includes pet stores along with other retailers.
BLS industry estimates are national only.
| Employer | Median | Mean | Hourly median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries (every employer) | $35,360 | $37,300 | $17.00 | 266,910 |
| Other personal services (NAICS 812900, includes pet care services) | $35,190 | $36,600 | $16.92 | 146,190 |
| Veterinary services (NAICS 541940) | $32,150 | $33,610 | $15.46 | 33,720 |
| Other miscellaneous retailers (NAICS 459900, includes pet stores) | $35,280 | $39,270 | $16.96 | 32,480 |
All salary pages: pet care salaries by role.